ACROSS THE NATION.

Lake drained in search for more corpses

March 05, 2002|By Items compiled from Tribune news services.

LAFAYETTE, GEORGIA — Investigators began draining a 3-acre lake Monday at the Tri-State Crematory in a search for more discarded corpses.

Authorities said they probably will spend more than a week dredging the dry lakebed for human remains. A skull and a torso were discovered in the lake last month. So far, 339 discarded corpses have been discovered in pits, sheds and vaults.

Crematory operator Ray Brent Marsh is in jail on 118 charges of theft by deception for allegedly taking payment to cremate the dead and instead passing off cement powder and dirt as ashes.

Marsh reportedly had told investigators the incinerator was broken, but authorities disclosed Monday that the machine's manufacturer successfully tested it last week.

In another disclosure, District Atty. Buzz Franklin said investigators discovered photos of decomposed bodies on Marsh's office computer.